Here's a big, bold red number from Puglia in the south of Italy and it's made from a blend of the two most popular red grapes there, Negroamarro makes up 80% with Primitivo at 20%.

Powerful dark fruit flavours are held together in a smooth, full bodied red wine with soft tannins and a lingering depth of flavour on the finish, thanks to being made using the Italian appassimento winemaking technique, which sees a portion of dried grapes added to the ferment to create richness of flavour and concentration. 

Benanti is a Sicilian winery with vineyards on the slopes of Mt Etna. This Etna Bianco is sourced from fruit from the eastern and southern slopes of the mountain. The unique terroir of this micro-climate gives the wine its distinctly Sicilian profile. Benanti Etna Bianco is made from the indigenous Carricante grape. This grape brings juicy acidity and fresh fruit aromatics, which is preserved by steel ageing. The palate is dry, refreshing and mineral, with a good persistent finish.

This is a top notch everyday sparkling wine from the epicentre of the world's most popular bubbles today, the Veneto, in north east Italy - home to Prosecco.

Clean, fresh and lemony in taste, it offers a medium bubble and lingering lightly fruity finish, making it very good value for money for high quality Prosecco.

Hand harvested grapes were selected to make this lovely dry, next level Prosecco, which is produced by the Bortolin family - now in its fourth generation of winemaking. 

Aside from the bling bottle design, Brilla Prosecco is a lovely, refreshing, light bodie, lightly sparkling Italian bubbly. Its flavours are of floral, lemon, red apples and  a touch of lime. Good quality prosecco with fresh clean flavours and a medium finish. The mini bottle is also convenient to take to parties for a couple of glasses.

What is Prosecco?

Grapes are grown in the Veneto region in north east Italy and the wine is made by the Charmat method, which means secondary fermentation takes place in pressurised stainless steel tanks. Once the secondary fermentation is complete, the wine is filtered and bottled under pressure. The charmat method is also known as tank method, methode cuve close and methode charmat-Martinotti.

'The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosoli is coy in the glass, youthfully restrained and requires coaxing to reveal its delicate bouquet. With time, a dusty display of dried roses, licorice, cherries, cloves and camphor emanates from the glass. This model of purity is polished, silky and refined with savory spice and mineral-laden red fruits that saturate, all perfectly guided by brisk acidity. It leaves the palate stained in primary concentration, turning inward upon itself. Tart currant and mentholated herb notes add freshness to a web of fine-grained tannins. The 2019 is a breathtaking interpretation of Montosoli fruit. Drink 2027-2042'

 97/100 Vinous, Eric Guido

"Boasting aromas of new leather, eucalyptus, violet, forest floor and spice, the stunning 2019 Vigna Montosoli from Canalicchio di Sopra is an excellent expression of this celebrated site, great vintage and historic winery. Firm and youthfully austere, it delivers ripe raspberry, blackberry, tobacco and licorice before a salty finish. Framed in tightly wound, fine-grained tannins, it’s elegantly structured, packed with energy and intensity, with bright acidity that also keeps it balanced. Give it time to fully develop. A gorgeous wine. Drink 2039–2044."

98/100 Kerin O’Keefe

'Dusty violets, lavender and cloves accentuate dried black cherries as the dramatic 2019 Brunello di Montalcino smolders up from the glass. This is impossible to ignore, bursting with energy as depths of ripe red fruits, chalky minerals and exotic spices saturate all they touch, balanced by textures of pure silk. The 2019 finishes with fantastic length and concentration, leaving a staining of tart blackberry and hints of orange that curl the tongue as crunchy tannins tug at the palate. It’s rare to see such a combination of vibrancy and power. Canalicchio di Sopra nailed it in 2019. Wow. Drink 2026-2042'

96/100 Vinous, Eric Guido

95/100 Wine Enthusiast, Kerin O'Keefe

"Underbrush, camphor, cedar and mature dark-skinned fruit aromas come to the forefront along with spicy notes. Full-bodied and firmly structured but also boasting a surprising weightlessness, the palate features dried cherry, steeped prune, licorice and tobacco set against a firm backbone of tightly knit, close-grained tannins. It's still youthfully austere so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2027–2037. " Drink 2027 - 2037

94+/100 Parker's wine Advocate, Monica Larner

"Considering the untimely passing of Renato Vacca in March of 2020, there is a lot of emotion coming back to this wine: It has always been an expression of Barbaresco nostalgia and romanticism, even when its creator was alive and well, working in these vines located directly under his family house. The Cantina del Pino 2017 Barbaresco Ovello bears his winemaking imprint with balance and elegance that never misses a beat. This vintage offers more density and concentration for sure, and the positioning of the Ovello cru overlooking the Tanaro River Valley sets the wine up for open-knit characteristics and suave softness. Those impressions are amplified in this vintage but are not overblown. Some 6,000 bottles were released and you get terrific value in this bottle. The wine is set to hit the market in September 2021." Drink 2023 - 2038

94/100 Vinous, Antonio Galloni

"The 2017 Barbaresco Ovello is a superb effort for the year. Bright, aromatic and effusive, the 2017 is so expressive right out of the bottle. It has the vintage 2017 power found in all the wines here, but also the cut and verve that make Ovello one of the most distinctive sites in all of Barbaresco. It is such a gorgeous wine." Drink 2025 - 2037

Timorasso is often called the “white Barolo” and this grape produces a white wine with great potential for aging.

The soil in the Tortona area is sandy clay and the vineyard aspect is South, South west at about 250-450m. the vines are trained to Guyot with ten buds per plant at 4.500 vines per hectare.  All grapes are handpicked around the end of September followed by 6 hours of cryo-maceration. Fermentation is in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with followed by 6 months on fine lees.

The end result is a super complex minerally driven wine, full-bodied on the palate with fresh citrus and tropical fruit notes leading to a mineral finish.

Founded in 1923, Cantina Settecani is a cooperative winery in the heart of the Castelvetro hills, bringing together over 200 growers. With deep roots in the Modenese countryside, Settecani has earned a reputation for crafting expressive, affordable Lambrusco wines that celebrate the diversity of local terroir. Their focus is primarily on Grasparossa di Castelvetro, the most structured and tannic of Lambrusco varieties.

The Tradizione  Secco bottling is a classic expression: bold, dark purple with a creamy mousse, showcasing black cherry, ripe plum, and a hint of spice. Lambrusco Grasparossa delivers body and depth without sacrificing freshness. A perfect companion to Emilia’s rich cuisine.

The name Settecani translates to “Seven Dogs,” but the origin is pure local folklore. Legend has it that a priest, spotting seven inebriated men stumbling out of a tavern, jokingly declared: “They look like seven dogs!” (Sette cani!). The name stuck — first to the hamlet, then to the winery. Today, the coop remains proudly rooted in this community, producing deeply fruited wines like this one

This Grillo by Cantine Fina reveals a bouquet of white peach, Mediterranean herbs and even kiwi notes. On the palate the wine is pleasantly fresh and juicy, with a mineral quality and orchard fruit flavours as well as aromas of white flowers. The beautifully long finish is raised by a touch of bitter musk. A truly beautiful Grillo in this price range!

Commercial description

"Grapes are dried in temperature and humidity controlled warehouses in hillside locations till December. Fermentation for about 20 days on the skins with constant pumping over. Oak wood aging for 18 months and in bottle for 6 months.

Casalforte Amarone della Valpolicella is a full-bodied red wine with a garnet red shade. Its complex bouquet recalls cherry jam, ripe black cherries and spicy notes of vanilla and licorice. On the palate it is juicy, well-structured with a fresh and fruity finish. It pairs perfectly with rich pasta dishes, game and grilled or stewed red meats as well as mature cheeses."